The Mystery of Terra Australis
John Pinkney 2006
This ancient land has been measured and mapped,
Its mountains stripped, its animals trapped.
Roads and rails cross its desert plains,
But still the MYSTERY remains.
This timeless earth has been tunnelled and mined,
Wild streams and rivers redesigned.
Shafts dizzy deep into rock and hill,
But the MYSTERY lies deeper still.
The primal forests have been felled,
Green shadows vanished, birdsong quelled.
Bleak buildings rise in grey cold tides,
But still the MYSTERY abides.
This ancient land has been mapped and measured,
Torrents dammed, idylls untreasured.
The analyst notes, the historian explains,
But still the MYSTERY remains.
from Great Australian Mysteries 2, copyright (c) John Pinkney
2006. Published by The Five Mile Press
By permission